Dividend Increases for the Week Ending November 15

Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending November 15. The dividend reports of covered firms on this list will be updated shortly with the new information. To access our dividend reports, please click here (or use our ‘Symbol’ search box in our website header). Firms Raising Their Dividends This Week Automatic Data Processing (ADP): now $0.48 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.435. EMC Insurance Group (EMCI): now $0.23 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.21. GasLog (GLOG): now $0.12 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.11. Griffon Corporation (GFF): now $0.03 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.025. LyondellBasell Industries N.V. (LYB): now $0.60 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.50. Medical Properties Trust (MPW): now $0.21 … Read more

The Mortgage Refinancing Boom Could Be Ending

Early Wednesday morning, the Mortgage Banker’s Association (MBA) announced that refinancing activity declined 20% from one week earlier. Adjusted for the Labor Day weekend, total mortgage applications dropped 13.5% from the previous week. Consistent with the dramatic upward movement in interest rates, refinancing activity is down 71% since it peaked during the week of May 3, 2013. Why Do We Monitoring Refinancing Activity? When homeowners refinance, a couple outcomes can occur that pump more dollars into the economy. First, with a refinanced mortgage, owners may choose to take equity out of the home, allowing for large purchases like vehicles or even home remodeling. CoreLogic recently reported that 2.5 million more residential properties have returned to positive equity in the second quarter … Read more

Nelson: The 16 Most Important Steps To Understand The Stock Market

A previous version of this article appeared on our website July 21, 2013. Refreshed and updated throughout, as of July 2018. By Brian Nelson, CFA After earning my MBA at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and training stock and credit analysts from large organizations over the past decade or so, I have heard just about every question (though I admit I am still surprised by many things and remain a very humble student of the markets). I’ve also spent years perfecting the discounted cash flow process for large research organizations such as Morningstar and studied under one of the most famed aggressive growth investors of all time, Richard Driehaus. My knowledge runs the gamut from value through … Read more

Why We Don’t Like Dividends of Banking Firms: 4 Very Good Reasons

Untermyer: Is not commercial credit based primarily upon money or property? Morgan: No, sir. The first thing is character. Untermyer: Before money or property? Morgan: Before money or anything else. Money cannot buy it … a man I do not trust could not get money from me on all the bonds in Christendom. –Mr. JP Morgan’s testimony before the Pujo Committee (questioning from Samuel Untermyer), 1912-1913 Reason #1: A Bank Run Is Always Possible Though the history of banking dates back to as early as 2000 BC in Babylonia, the makings of the present-day banking system in the US really didn’t take hold until the beginning of the 20th century. Some financial historians may argue for a later date, but we … Read more

Stock Market Outlook for 2021

By Valuentum Analysts February 8, 2021 2020 was one for the history books. We covered our thoughts and reflections on the past year in our “2020 Won’t Soon Be Forgotten” article (link here), and now we are looking towards the future. Global health authorities should be able to bring an end to the ongoing coronavirus (‘COVID-19’) pandemic sooner than many had expected as several vaccines have already been improved for emergency use and several others appear increasingly likely to get approved. Global vaccine distribution activities are currently underway, and this should allow the world to slowly return to pre-pandemic activities. Before then, immense stimulus measures launched primarily in developed nations should support global economic activities until the public health crisis … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week November 19

Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending November 19. The dividend reports of covered firms on this list will be updated shortly with the new information. To access our dividend reports use the ‘Symbol’ search box in our website header. Firms Raising Their Dividends This Week 360 DigiTech (QFIN): now $0.14 per share quarterly dividend. AFLAC (AFL): now $0.40 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.33. Agilent Technologies (A): now $0.21 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.194. American National Bankshares (AMNB): now $0.28 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.27. Amkor Technology (AMKR): now $0.05 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.04. AMMO 8.75% PFD SER A (POWWP): now $1.0148 per share dividend, was $0.2412. … Read more

4 Very Good Reasons Why We Don’t Like Dividends of Banking Stocks

Untermyer: Is not commercial credit based primarily upon money or property?Morgan: No, sir. The first thing is character.Untermyer: Before money or property?Morgan: Before money or anything else. Money cannot buy it … a man I do not trust could not get money from me on all the bonds in Christendom. –Mr. JP Morgan’s testimony before the Pujo Committee (questioning from Samuel Untermyer), 1912-1913   Image: Bank Run in Michigan, USA, February 1933. Source: Public Domain. By Brian Nelson, CFA It’s sometimes easy to lose sight of the fragility of a banking firm’s business model. Let’s examine the reasons why we don’t like banking firms’ dividends. Reason #1: A Bank Run Is Always Possible. Reason #2: Others Have Tried to Invest in Bank Dividends and Have Failed. Reason #3: … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week Ending November 6

Below we provide a list of firms that raised/lowered their dividends during the week ending November 6. The dividend reports of covered firms on this list will be updated shortly with the new information. To access our dividend reports use the ‘Symbol’ search box in our website header. Firms Raising Their Dividends This Week Abengoa Yield (ABY): now $0.43 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.40. Amerisource Bergen Corp (ABC): now $0.34 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.29. Andersons (ANDE): now $0.155 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.14. Atmos Energy (ATO): now $0.42 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.39. Calavo Growers (CVGW): now $0.80 per share semi-annual dividend, was $0.75. CDK Global (CDK): now $0.135 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.12. … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week of November 10

Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending November 10. The dividend reports of covered firms on this list will be updated shortly with the new information. To access our dividend reports use the ‘Symbol’ search box in our website header. Firms Raising Their Dividends This Week                          Air Lease (AL): now $0.21 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.20. Airtel Africa Plc (AAFRF): now $0.0238 per share semi-annual dividend. Artesian Resources (ARTNA): now $0.2897 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.2840. Assurant (AIZ): now $0.72 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.70. Atmos Energy (ATO): now $0.805 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.740. Autoliv (ALV): now $0.68 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.66. Automatic … Read more